The Painful Lump Under Your Foot: A Callus or a Wart?

To the untrained eye, calluses and warts are difficult to tell apart. The appearance can be very similar. However, calluses and warts are two very different conditions that result from separate causes. While some of the symptoms of the two conditions overlap, others are different.

A callus is a thickening of the skin that results from friction. It usually grows on a bony prominence. Plantar warts, on the other hand, are small growths on the skin caused by a virus. Plantar warts usually grow in clusters on the sole of the foot. They have a flat, smooth surface with the wart lying under the skin. As a New Jersey foot doctor, I see many people who believe that they have a painful callus when actually it is a plantar wart.

It is important to determine if the spot on your foot is a wart or a callus because the treatments are different. First your podiatrist will want to know how much pain it is causing you. Calluses can cause pain, but plantar warts are more likely to do so. Our patients usually describe the pain associated with a plantar wart as stepping onto a small, sharp pebble.

Getting Rid of Your Plantar WartsThe severe pain caused by a plantar wart can limit your activities. Do not let a plantar wart slow you down! The podiatrists at Wayne Foot & Ankle offer the most effective treatments for plantar warts. We work with you to create a custom treatment plan that best serves you. We take your health and the health of your feet very seriously. We now have two offices to better serve you in Wayne and Hewitt. Call 973.595.8900 today to make an appointment.